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December 18, 2010

it's all about the tuck

recently i've had one single criteria when shopping: can i tuck this in? (or in the case of pants, what can i tuck into these?) while this doesn't seem like that revolutionary an idea, for me it's quite the departure from my usual fashion tendencies.

as someone who favors loose-fitting tops (the bigger the better) over skinny jeans or leggings, i rarely wear anything tight around my waist. i do occasionally wear the ever-present high-waisted skirt, but even then i usually find a way to wear a loose crop top or boxy blouse over the skirt - once again avoiding the tuck.

after some deep self-analysis, i realized i'm traditionally anti-tuck because of the 9 years i spent in strict catholic grade school. i was continually forced to tuck my white polo shirt into my plaid skirt or khaki pants, and let me tell you, it was not pretty.

i was constantly trying to bend the rule; i even resorted to folding my shirt under so it looked like it was tucked in - but it really wasn't! ha! success!

needless to say my devilish ways were soon discovered and i was unwillingly forced to tuck, tuck, tuck once again.

apparently it's taken me 5 years to get over this fashion trauma, because i'm now enthusiastically embracing the chicness of a tucked-in shirt. it looks especially polished and feminine with higher-waisted skinny pants; i'm not talking mom jeans, but pants with a slightly higher rise that hits two inches below the belly-button look best (try these). adding a skinny belt reinforces the {surprisingly slimming} look, as do simple flats and a jacket cropped at the waist. the photo above, sourced from lucky (obviously) is the embodiment of all these tiny tweaks and tucking tricks - i love how her shirt is slightly bloused, and am still shocked by how strong her simple outfit is. talk about the definition of chic. i'll be referencing this picture a lot this season, save for the week after christmas... i'm guessing all the delicious holiday treats will not bode well for my waistline!